Is compulsory military service returning to Europe due to the conflict in Ukraine?

17:41, 12/06/2023

After the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War in Europe, many countries abolished compulsory military service. But in the wake of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, some are considering bringing it back.

After the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Cold War, conscription seemed to be on the decline in Europe. Over the past 20 years, compulsory military service has been abolished in most countries on the continent.

Germany suspended conscription in 2011, but could reintroduce it if the country's parliament determines that constitutional protections are needed.

The situation is similar in many other European countries. Of the 31 NATO member states, only six have maintained compulsory military service since 1993.

However, the Russia-Ukraine conflict has sparked renewed debate on the issue, with many European countries considering whether they should reintroduce compulsory military service and increase defence budgets.

Ukraine and Lithuania

Shortly after Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, Ukraine reintroduced compulsory military service for men aged 18 to 26. Lithuania followed suit in 2015 for men aged 18 to 25. After Russia launched its military campaign in Ukraine in February 2022, Kiev enacted a law that all able-bodied men between the ages of 18 and 60 could be subject to compulsory military service.

The conflict in Ukraine is prompting European countries to reimpose compulsory military service. Photo: AP/DPA

Latvia

The Baltic state is one of three NATO members, along with Estonia and newcomer Finland, that border Russia. Latvia is planning to reintroduce compulsory military service, something the other two have never abolished.

From 2024, all Latvian men aged 18 to 27 will undergo 11 months of military training. From 2028, 7,500 Latvians will be called up for military service each year. According to NATO, this is equivalent to the country's total professional military strength in 2022.

Romania

The first attempt to reintroduce compulsory military service failed in 2015, but Romanian Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca, a retired general, voiced his support again this spring.

In a draft law published last year, the Romanian Defense Ministry backed a proposal that all Romanians of military age living abroad be available for military service within 15 days in the event of a general mobilization.

Netherlands and Sweden

The Dutch army is currently short 9,000 soldiers and the government is considering increasing troop numbers through compulsory military service, as Sweden has done since 2018.

The largest Nordic country abolished compulsory military service in 2010, but reintroduced it because there were not enough volunteers. Now all 18-year-olds are called up to do military service, but only a small proportion are recruited to do it, a similar situation in Norway.

Norway and Denmark

Since 2016, all 18-year-olds in Norway – men and women – have been required to do military service. But only about 9,000 of the 60,000 applicants each year are called up for the 19-month service.

Denmark also has compulsory military service, but there are enough volunteers to meet the demand.

France

France is currently debating a "proper" form of military service. President Emmanuel Macron introduced "Universal National Service" in 2019, allowing young people to volunteer for a month of military service. The French government is now considering making this compulsory for all French citizens aged 15-17.

Virtue

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has rejected a proposal by Defence Minister Boris Pistorius to introduce compulsory military service. However, there are calls for a national debate on the issue in political circles.

The German parliament's defence commissioner Eva Högl, who is also from the ruling Social Democratic Party like Mr Scholz and Pistorius, recently suggested that there should be discussions about a year of compulsory service.

According to VNA/Tintuc

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